Monday, February 23, 2015

One For Matt

Bringing this fight means openly opposing the president. That’s
something most progressives have never done and are still reluctant to
do. For many it means conceding a point they’ve long resisted, that on
many vital issues his views are those of the very establishment they
hoped he would transform. Many will have to forsake electoral politics
for a while, and also all its tools and tactics. We’ll win not with
slogans or metaphors, but with fierce logic and tireless exposition.

It's
certainly true that ISIS remains a terrible and urgent threat to the
Middle East. The group is not on the verge of defeat, nor is its total
destruction guaranteed. But, after months of ISIS expansion and
victories, the group is now being beaten back. It is losing territory in
the places that matter. Coalition airstrikes have hamstrung its ability
to wage offensive war, and it has no friends to turn to for help. Its
governance model is unsustainable and risks collapse in the long run.Unless ISIS starts adapting, there's a very good chance its so-called caliphate is going to fall apart.